Chapter 1- Xena

“Yes dad, I will be super careful and I will call you every single day. I promise I won’t get in trouble at all.” I told my father with a sigh as this is the nth time I am promising him the same thing.

He worries too much for his own good but he has a reason to as I have always had a bit of a weak immune system growing up resulting in me falling ill quite often but I am an adult now. I can take care of myself now.

“You better or I will come there myself to drag your ass back home.” Dad said sternly but I know he is concerned about me being far away from home.

“I will. Don’t worry too much. This is not the first time I am going on a trip.”

“But it is the first time you are going so far away. Is it necessary to go that far? Can’t you just go somewhere closer to Argentina? I think we should come with you. It will be better that way.” Dad said as his stern look slipped being replaced with a worried one.

“Dad please stop it. We have been through this discussion multiple times now. You know I have always wanted to go there. I will be fine. I am not alone you know. Stacy, Carl, Steven, Max and Eli are coming with me. You can’t protect me all the time. I am twenty five for heaven’s sake. I can manage taking care of myself for a couple days.”

But dad still looked the same. More like his face turned colder.

I think I shouldn’t have said the last bit.

“Papa please do something.” I pleaded to my more level headed parent.

Papa looked at me like I made him stand in the firing line out of nowhere. Dad turned his head and looked at papa with challenging intensity.

“Drew, she will be fine. You are fessing too much.” Papa said a little hesitantly seeing the daggers dad was throwing at him by his eyes.

I shuddered thinking about the explosion about to happen. If looks could kill.

“How could you let our only child go that far alone? This is all your fault that she is obsessed with that damned place.” Dad screeched dramatically.

“I can because I trust her and I have confidence in her. I know she will come back home safe.” Papa replied sternly.

Someone’s offended.

“She is my daughter as well and I know she can take care of herself just fine. Don’t blame the book. Books are awesome.”

Dad huffed but I could see that he wasn’t going to complain anymore. I grinned at papa which he returned with a sneaky grin of his own.

“So, you will be dropping me off at the airport tomorrow?” I asked dad reluctantly.

He nodded, pouting at the floor. I slid off the couch and sat in front of him.

“Dad I will be back in no time and absolutely alright. Please don’t be sad. Besides, I just graduated from the med school. I want to treat myself for my achievement before I get busy again with work.”

“I understand princess.” Dad said sighing. “I worry too much like Carl said. You know that pretty well. You are our baby after all.”

I hugged him tightly.

“It’s only a month. It will go away in a jiffy.”

He hummed and pulled me closer. Another pair of arms circled around us.

“Don’t leave me out.” Papa said as he rested his chin over my head.

I chuckled at his antiques. He has always been the chill and goofy father and dad is the worry wart of the two. They are perfect for each other. They are the best fathers in the whole entire world.

We pulled away after a while and I went to my bedroom to do a last check over my luggage. I quickly took a shower after I was done as I won’t be having the time for it tomorrow. Our plane leaves at ten in the morning but we are meeting at the airport around eight and as the airport is an hour’s drive from our home, I don’t think I will be able to do anything other than brush my teeth and wear my travel clothes.

I plopped on the bed thinking about the trip. I am finally going to Aleutian Islands. I have always been intrigued with them from when I was five. Papa had given me an encyclopedia of sorts that had information of every island known to the humankind on the planet earth and out of them, this group of islands caught my eye. I asked my parents multiple time to go there but they refused even after I had started going on hiking trips myself. I strictly stuck to South America and that too, close by. Dad just won’t budge.

Now, the time has come to see the islands of my dreams with my very own eyes. I can’t wait to be there. Will the islands be as good as the pictures and descriptions I have gone through so far? I will find out soon, I guess.

We were planning on going there from the very first year of college as a graduation gift to ourselves and the day has finally arrived.

I will be in Alaska soon and at my dream destination in not more than seventy two hours if things went according to our plan. I should sleep now or I won’t be able to wake up on time in the morning.

I closed my eyes with the thought of the cold windy weather of the islands. I will finally be going there and seeing and feeling the islands and not just imagining it like I did for twenty long years.

My dream is finally coming true.